Easy, Nourishing & Delish Recipes

healthy, easy, simple and tasty recipes for busy people

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No Bake Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies!

by 7 Comments

No-BakeI love easy recipes, I love peanut butter, I love chocolate and I love cookies! What if you combine all of these things into one? Nothing better than that! Plus they are healthy cookies, no sugar what so ever, just delicious-tasting heaven! I promise you that these are the easiest cookies you will ever make! Even if you have 5 minutes to spare, you can still make these one bowl delights!

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No Bake PB-Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 25-30 cookies

  • 2.5 cups dry oats
  • 1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup stevia-sweetened chocolate chips

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together peanut butter, bananas and vanilla, combine well

2. Mix in oats and chocolate chips, combine well until a dough forms

3. Roll dough into small balls, place in fridge until the cookies harden

Health Benefits

  • All-natural
  • No processed ingredients
  • No preservatives
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Sugar-free
  • good source of fiber
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

 

 

[Tweet “These #healthy No Bake Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate CHip Cookies are the bomb dot com!”]

Spiced Winter Fruit Compote

by 1 Comment

 

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One of my favorite winter dishes is  this winter spiced fruit that my mom makes every year.  Its seriously so good and a nice change from pies and cakes for dessert.  The recipe calls for canned peaches, cherries, and cranberries in syrup.  It’s full of added sugar and unnecessarily  sweet, so I wanted to make my own version.  I used a little honey in place of the syrup and its just as good, if not better!  Using fresh fruit instead of canned makes all the difference!  This is perfect stirred in oatmeal, yogurt, drizzled on top of angel food cake or simply eaten by itself!  So easy to make and very healthy, you have to make it!

 

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  Spiced Winter Fruit Compote

  • 2 apples, chopped
  • 2 pears, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup frozen peaches or apricots
  • 2 cups frozen black cherries
  • 1/2 cup orange slices ( or about 1 whole orange)
  • 1 cup grapes
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup honey/maple syrup or 2 Tbsp. Nunaturals simple stevia syrup
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, optional

1. Add all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until apples are soft

2. Serve on top of ice cream, yogurt, toast or simply enjoy a bowl on it’s own

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Health Benefits:

  • All-natural
  • Refined sugar-free
  • Full of fiber
  • No preservatives
  • No added sugar
  • Tons of antioxidants and vitamins
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Paleo
  • Primal
  • Whole 30
  • Gluten-free
  • Grain-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free

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Vegan Caramel Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

by 21 Comments

#healthy #paleo Cranberry-Lemon Cake

Making cupcakes for a christmas eve family party has been a tradition of my ever since I knew how to use an oven.  I usually like to get creative and come up with cool unique flavors.  This year is going to be a little different because I’m making healthy cupcakes.  I’m sacrificing artificial ingredients, added sugars, and

artery clogging fat, without sacrificing flavor.  And I’m 99% sure my family will not even notice it.  They will only be focused on the dense doughy texture, the sweet caramel inside and the cinnamon-sugary glaze on top!

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Vegan Caramel Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

  • 2 cups  gluten-free oat flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Filling

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine  oat flour, coconut sugar,baking soda and cinnamon.  Mix well.
  3. In a separate bowl combine water, coconut oil, apple sauce, vanilla and apple cider vinegar.  Mix well and stir into dry ingredients.
  4. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and spoon batter into 12 muffin slots about 2/3 full.
  5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until done.

Cinnamon-Sugar Glaze

  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • Coconut sugar for sprinkling

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and spread on cupcakes, sprinkle with coconut sugar

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Health Benefits

  • All-natural ingredients
  • No artificial ingredients
  • No processed ingredients
  • No preservatives
  • Refined sugar-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Vegan
  • High in fiber
  • Vegetarian

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Thanks to Jenn for linking up! Merry Christmas!

GF Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Muffins +Daisy’s Cottage Cheese Product Review

by 9 Comments

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As much as I love trying new foods, I have to admit there are certain foods I HAVE to eat every day, Cottage cheese being one of them!  I’ve been becoming obsessed with the stuff lately, and been choosing it over my greek yogurt (gasp!).  I’m hooked on the creaminess and distinct texture it adds to certain foods.   You can add it to smoothies and oatmeal for added protein or sub it with cream cheese or ricotta cheese in baking and cooking! I was very grateful when Daisy Brand send me over some coupons to try their amazing cottage cheese!  I was amazed at the quality of the 100% all-natural ingredients that the 90 year old company uses!  Daisy uses no preservatives which sets them apart from any other dairy products!

 

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese cottagecheese-lowfat

Only 90 calories and a whopping 13 grams of protein per half cup!  Super creamy and chunky even though its low in fat!  There are only a few all-natural ingredients :Cultured skim milk, cream, salt, vitamin A palmitate.  Whats not to love?

photo 3  Gluten-free Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Muffins makes 6-8 muffins

  • 1 1/4 cup Gluten-free oat flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup no sugar added apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup milk (I used almond)
  • 1 egg or 2 egg whites, beaten
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup/ honey
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped apple
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans (optional)

Filling

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl combine oat flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well.
  3. Add in apple sauce, milk, egg vanilla and maple syrup.  Combine well then add in chopped apple and pecans and mix.
  4. In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients for filling.  Process until smooth, or about 10 seconds.
  5. Line a muffin tin with liners and add batter one-third of the way for each slot.  Then add a spoonful of the cheesecake mixture.  Finish it up with another spoonful of batter.  Repeat for each muffin.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until muffins are done.
  7. Enjoy!

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What’s your favorite way to eat cottage cheese?

[Tweet “#glutenfree Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake Muffins are packed with protein and fiber!”]

Thanks to Meatless Mondays for Hosting!

Gluten-free Peppermint Brownies

by 18 Comments

With christmas peeking behind the corner, I just couldn’t help myself getting into the christmas spirit a little early.  I always look forward to baking desserts for holiday parties, but this year things are going to be a tad different.  Instead of using tons of butter and unhealthy ingredients, my plan is create healthy clean eating recipes without my family evening knowing!  The same great taste but way less calories and tons of health benefits!  Peppermint is one of the official flavors of Christmas so what better way then to make healthy clean eating peppermint brownies?  Packed with loads of health benefits like fiber, vitamins, healthy fats and so on, you won’t know they are healthy!

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Gluten-free Peppermint Brownies

(adapted from Fit Foodie Finds)

  • 1 cup garbanzo bean flour (or any gluten-free flour)
  • 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 egg or 2 egg whites, beaten (or flax egg)
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar/maple syrup/honey
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp. peppermint extract (use 1 1/2 tsp if not using stevia)
  • 1/2 tsp. peppermint stevia
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (can be vegan)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix well.
  3. In a separate bowl combine egg, agave, coconut oil and extracts.  Combine well.
  4. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients, making sure to mix well and scraping sides of bowl to ensure evenly mixed.
  5. Add melted chocolate and stir batter well to evenly distribute chocolate.
  6. Spray cooking spray in a glass pan.  Spoon in batter and spread evenly throughout pan.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until done.
  8. Enjoy!

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Health Benefits

  • All-natural
  • No preservatives
  • No processed sugar
  • Refined sugar-free
  • Healthy fats
  • Full of fiber
  • Clean ingredients
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free(if using dairy-free chocolate)
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Tons of antioxidants and vitamins

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Clean eating Cinnamon Sugar Mango Jam

by 8 Comments

This delicious and healthy Cinnamon Sugar Mango Jam is the perfect spread on toast, waffles, pancakes or swirled in yogurt or ice cream!

Did you ever like something so much that you buy more of it than you can actually eat?  Yeah I made that mistake more than once.  I LOVE mangoes so when there was a sale I bought 5 too many and well, 3 ended up in the trash.  The others were super ripe, so I knew I needed to make something with them pronto!  I’ve been wanting to make jam, but never thought I was gonna make mango jam.  But I did, and it turned out super awesome! The cinnamon and coconut sugar make it out of this world!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!This delicious and healthy Cinnamon Sugar Mango Jam is the perfect spread on toast, waffles, pancakes or swirled in yogurt or ice cream!

Clean eating Cinnamon- (Coconut) Sugar Mango Jam

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups ripe mashed mangoes you can also puree them if you prefer
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a larger bowl. Mix well.
  • Add mixture to a saucepan and place on low heat. Let simmer for about 20 minutes , stirring mixture every few minutes.
  • Let cool and Enjoy!

This delicious and healthy Cinnamon Sugar Mango Jam is the perfect spread on toast, waffles, pancakes or swirled in yogurt or ice cream!

Health Benefits:

  • All-natural
  • No preservatives
  • No processed ingredients
  • No refined sugar
  • Fiber
  • Grain-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Paleo
  • Whole 30

This delicious and healthy Cinnamon Sugar Mango Jam is the perfect spread on toast, waffles, pancakes or swirled in yogurt or ice cream!

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brulee

by 17 Comments

Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate is a match made in heaven, now PB, Chocolate and Creme Brûlée, now thats a step above! I wanted to combine these three things into one healthy breakfast, Oatmeal brûlée, clean, healthy, and tastes like the real thing without the loads of fat and refined sugar.

 I never ever used refined sugar in my recipes, so when Karis Naturals sent me some of their raw bolivian cane sugar AKA Chancaca, I knew i had to make this brulee. Chancaca is rich in natural molasses and unlike refined sugars, it retains all of its natural mineral content and nutritive properties . 

Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brulee

This all natural sugar is way sweeter than refined sugar, so you can use way less and have an amazing taste, just like brown sugar. I would suggest that you go buy this stuff because it’s amazing, really an honest opinion.This baked oats is Chocolatey as can be and filled with a creamy peanut butter concoction and topped off with some Bolivian Raw Cane Sugar.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brulee

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings 1 serving

Ingredients
  

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée
  • 1/3 cup oats
  • 1/3 cup almond milk or water
  • 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. agave/honey
  • 1/2 Tbsp. peanut butter
  • 1 Tbsp. almond milk
  • 1 tsp. all-natual cane sugar I used Chancaca

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine oats, milk, vanilla, honey, and agave in a bowl. Mix well.
  • In separate small bowl combine peanut butter and almond milk.
  • Pour half of oat mixture in a ramekin. Add peanut butter on top, then add remaining oat mixture.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes, or until oats are done.
  • Take oats out of oven and sprinkle with cane sugar.
  • Heat oven to broil ( 550 degrees) and bake oatmeal 1 minute, or until sugar caramelizes (watch closely).
  • Enjoy!

Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!

[Tweet “Start your day off on the right note with this #healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brulee!”]

Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!

  • No refined sugar
  • No processed ingredients
  • 100% clean
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Antioxidantsphoto 2

Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!

Now you can eat dessert for breakfast with this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brûlée!

Like This Recipe? Try This one!

Gingerbread Oatmeal Brulee

Avocado Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms

by 17 Comments

These Avocado Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms are only made with a few ingredients and are quick to make! these are perfect as an appetizer or lunch/dinner! no matter how you eat them, you will LOVE them!

While looking in my fridge to get some motivation for what to make I discovered some leftover couscous, mushrooms, 1/2 an avocado and some tomatoes.  Then bang, an idea came to my brain.  Why not use the leftovers to make an amazing stuffed mushroom?  

These Avocado Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms are only made with a few ingredients and are quick to make! these are perfect as an appetizer or lunch/dinner! no matter how you eat them, you will LOVE them!

Avocado Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms

And that’s exactly what happened, and the result was incredible. These are so easy and perfect to make for when you have left over grains that you do not want to toss out. All the spices and flavors combined makes it the perfect appetizer or even a light dinner!

Avocado and Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup cooked couscous
  • 1/2 avocado mashed
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 4 white mushroom caps

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Add all ingredients (excluding mushrooms) in a bowl. Mix well.
  • Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray and place mushrooms on top. Stuff mushrooms with filling and bake for about 20 minutes, or until done.
  • Enjoy!

These Avocado Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms are only made with a few ingredients and are quick to make! these are perfect as an appetizer or lunch/dinner! no matter how you eat them, you will LOVE them!

Health Benefits

Mushrooms

  • Good source of many vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins B, Riboflavin, Niacian, Potassium and Vitamin D
  • Low in calories
  • High fiber
  • High water content

Avocado

  • Healthy fats
  • Rich in plenty of Vitamins and minerals such as Pantothenic acid, Vitamin K, Copper and Folate
  • Rich in fiber
  • Rich in antioxidants such a Glutathione
  • Highest protein content of any fruit

These Avocado Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms are only made with a few ingredients and are quick to make! these are perfect as an appetizer or lunch/dinner! no matter how you eat them, you will LOVE them!

Apple Pie Breakfast Pizza

by 24 Comments

What’s not to love about apple pie? I mean, the soft, cinnamon and sweet apples with a crunchy golden crust, pure bliss. But all of the sugar, fat, and calories are a big no-no in my book, so why not enjoy the taste of apple pie with real cooked apples with cinnamon on top of a breakfast pizza? Life just got so much more exciting! It’s love at first bite, so sweet, soft, and tasty, the way apple pie should be on top of a chewy, golden oatmeal crust. All natural, all good, all tasty, which is everything you could imagine and more!

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Apple Pie Breakfast Pizza

Apple Pie Breakfast Pizza

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • Apple Pie Breakfast Pizza
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 egg of flax egg
  • 1/4 cup apple sauce
  • 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • Toppings
  • 1 apple sliced and baked in microwave with cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
  • 2 Tbsp. greek yogurt/ soy yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine ingredients except toppings in a bowl. Blend well and place on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon into a circle pizza crust shape. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is done.
  • Add toppings onto crust.
  • Enjoy!

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Health Benefits

  • Fiber
  • Protein
  • Healthy fats
  • All natural
  • No preservatives
  • No added sugar
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Antioxidants
  • 100% clean
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

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Recipe Redux: Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti

by 36 Comments

These Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti Cookies are dipped in chocolate and are a delicious and gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite cookies!

I am so excited to share this recipe as it is my first post for Recipe Redux! Here is this month’s theme:

“A Food Memory For Which You Are Thankful” “In the US, November marks the Thanksgiving holiday. But many of us are especially thankful for food memories we have shared with friends or relatives throughout our lives. Was it a special meal you ate as a child? Or, maybe it was a food you grew and harvested with your own children. Please share one of your favorite food memories and the healthier “redo” of the recipe.”

These Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti Cookies are dipped in chocolate and are a delicious and gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite cookies!

I come from an italian family where biscotti is made for every occasion. I am thankful for my Grandmother’s biscotti, the best there is. Every holiday, I can always expect a giant plateful of my favorite cookie waiting for me! My Grandmother is almost 90 years old and she still makes them for every holiday! So of course I had to recreate them with a healthy and gluten-free version! 

These Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti Cookies are dipped in chocolate and are a delicious and gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite cookies! These might not be up to par with my Grandmother’s biscotti, but I think they are pretty darn tasty!

My favorite kind is the vanilla biscotti with a hint of orange flavor dipped in dark chocolate.  They are flavor-packed, like a party in your mouth.  I wanted to create a  healthy version with the same flavor, just not all the calories, sugar and extra fat the came along with it.  These are so tasty!  Dip them in a hot cuppa’ joe or a big tall glass of ice cold milk ( almond milk of course :)).  So satisfying with al the fiber, you will not feel guilty eating them!


  

Recipe Redux: Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cup GF oat flour
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup/honey
  • 11/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 flax egg 1 Tbsp. ground flax, 3 Tbsp. water
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil melted
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp. juice from an orange
  • 2 Tbsp. orange zest
  • 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat to 350 degrees.
  • In a bowl combine flour and baking powder. Mix well.
  • Add in flax egg, coconut oil, vanilla, orange juice, maple syrup and orange zest. Stir well, scraping sides of the bowl after each addition. Form a dough
  • Roll rough into long log and flatten to a width of two inches.
  • Place log on cooking sheet coated with cooking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
  • Slice with a serrated knife.
  • Melt chocolate and dip ends of biscotti into it. Repeat with all cookies.
  • Enjoy!

These Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti Cookies are dipped in chocolate and are a delicious and gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite cookies! Health Benefits Oranges

  • Plenty of vitamin C, A, folate and calcium
  • Fiber
  • Natural sugars

Oats

  • Plenty of fiber
  • Low-glycemic
  • Rich in manganese, copper , vitamin B1
  • Hearty amount of protein

Recipe as a whole

  • All natural
  • No refined sugar
  • No preservatives
  • No processed ingredients
  • No artificial flavors
  • 100% clean
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Low-glycemic
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

These Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti Cookies are dipped in chocolate and are a delicious and gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite cookies!   These Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti Cookies are dipped in chocolate and are a delicious and gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite cookies!

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